HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

Battle for the California Desert: Why is the Government Driving Folks off Their Land?

Views:928
@ReasonVids

The Antelope Valley is a vast patch of desert on the outskirts of Los Angeles County, and a segment of the few rugged individualists who live out there increasingly are finding themselves the targets of armed raids from local code enforcement agents, who've assembled into task forces called Nuisance Abatement Teams (NATs).

The plight of the Valley's desert dwellers made regional headlines when county officials ordered the destruction of Phonehenge: a towering, colorful castle constructed out of telephone poles by retired phone technician Kim Fahey. Fahey was imprisoned and charged with several misdemeanors.

But Fahey is just one of many who've been targeted by the NATs, which were assembled at the request of County Supervisor Mike Antonovich in 2006. LA Weekly reporter Mars Melnicoff wrote an in-depth article in which she exposed the county's tactic of badgering residents with minor, but costly, code violations until they face little choice but to vacate the land altogether.

"They're picking on the the people who are the most defenseless and have the least resources," says Melnicoff.

Reason.tv collaborated with Melnicoff to talk with some of the NAT's targets, such as retired veteran Joey Gallo, who might face homelessness if he's forced to leave his house, and local pastor Oscar Castaneda, who says he's already given up the fight and is in the process of moving off the land he and his wife have lived on for 22 years. And, while Antonovich declined an interview, we did catch up with him at a public meeting in order to ask the big question at the center of all this: Why the sudden enforcement of these codes against people living in the middle of the desert, who seemingly are affecting no one?

Writer-Producers: Zach Weissmueller and Tim Cavanaugh. Associate Producer: Mars Melnicoff. Camera: Alex Manning and Weissmueller; edited by Weissmueller.

Approximately 9:48.

Music by Audionautix.com.

Visit Reason.tv for downloadable versions of this and all our videos, and subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube Channel to receive automatic notification when new content is posted.

antelope valley
,
mike antonovich
,
desert rats
,
property rights
,
private property
,
nat
,
nuisance abatement
,
phonehenge
,
kim fahey
,
nick gillespie
,
libertarian
,
reason magazine
,
zach weissmueller
,
tim cavanaugh
,
la weekly
,
mars melnicoff
    Thumbnail for Romney Edges Perry in New Reason-Rupe Poll;5:24
    Romney Edges Perry in New Reason-Rupe Poll;
    ReasonVids
    873 views
    Thumbnail for Just a nigger thing0:34
    Just a nigger thing
    AOU
    1425 views
    Thumbnail for FECAL FINGER BEAR (OWEN BENJAMIN) | BARRICADE GARAGE2:15
    FECAL FINGER BEAR (OWEN BENJAMIN) | BARRICADE GARAGE
    invidious
    117 views
    Thumbnail for Richard Viguerie on the Future of Conservatism7:34
    Richard Viguerie on the Future of Conservatism
    ReasonVids
    806 views
    Thumbnail for Is Colorado Pot Overtaxed and Over-Regulated Already?8:22
    Is Colorado Pot Overtaxed and Over-Regulated Already?
    ReasonVids
    1000 views
    Thumbnail for DC Capitol Hemp Shutting Down: Obama's War on Drugs to Blame2:47
    DC Capitol Hemp Shutting Down: Obama's War on Drugs to Blame
    ReasonVids
    985 views
    Thumbnail for Race Burnout Drift10:00
    Race Burnout Drift
    stumble_bro
    449 views
    Thumbnail for Jordan Peterson on why you shouldn't regulate hate speech.2:49
    Jordan Peterson on why you shouldn't regulate hate speech.
    bestofsaidit
    897 views
    Thumbnail for Arizona's Immigration Law Heads to the Supreme Court3:48
    Arizona's Immigration Law Heads to the Supreme Court
    ReasonVids
    700 views
    Thumbnail for Google Career Certificates: Flexible to Your Life | Google Career Certificates: Flexible to Your Life0:16
    Google Career Certificates: Flexible to Your Life | Google Career Certificates: Flexible to Your Life
    invidious
    346 views
    Thumbnail for Hundreds Line Up in D.C. For Free Marijuana Seeds1:29
    Hundreds Line Up in D.C. For Free Marijuana Seeds
    ReasonVids
    912 views
    Thumbnail for Density or Sprawl? How To Solve the Urban Housing Crisis15:04
    Density or Sprawl? How To Solve the Urban Housing Crisis
    ReasonVids
    1038 views
    Thumbnail for family court5:14
    family court
    AOUisgay
    476 views
    Thumbnail for Rope magic0:58
    Rope magic
    AOUisgay
    505 views
    Thumbnail for Freedomworks' Matt Kibbe on the Hostile Takeover of The GOP4:31
    Freedomworks' Matt Kibbe on the Hostile Takeover of The GOP
    ReasonVids
    738 views
    Thumbnail for Restless Anal Syndrome: It’s a Thing | Grunt Speak Shorts3:46
    Restless Anal Syndrome: It’s a Thing | Grunt Speak Shorts
    Terrence Popp
    905 views
    Thumbnail for ถ้า GDP ไทยจะโต 5%...: Suthichai live 4-2-681:19:28
    ถ้า GDP ไทยจะโต 5%...: Suthichai live 4-2-68
    invidious
    123 views
    Thumbnail for Louisiana Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek on the New Orleans School Choice Revolution8:30
    Louisiana Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek on the New Orleans School Choice Revolution
    ReasonVids
    864 views
    Thumbnail for Libertarian PBS4:51
    Libertarian PBS
    ReasonVids
    815 views
    Thumbnail for Memory holed: IDF snipers killing American soldiers in Iraq 41:51
    Memory holed: IDF snipers killing American soldiers in Iraq
    bestofvoatxyz
    1287 views
    Thumbnail for Happy Goyim Women according to Joogle.1:09
    Happy Goyim Women according to Joogle.
    AOU
    5663 views
    Thumbnail for Plant a Garden, Go to Jail for 93-Days?! Nanny of the Month (July 2011)1:05
    Plant a Garden, Go to Jail for 93-Days?! Nanny of the Month (July 2011)
    ReasonVids
    823 views
    Thumbnail for West Wing Weak: Your Guide to Obama's Scandal-Filled Week1:34
    West Wing Weak: Your Guide to Obama's Scandal-Filled Week
    ReasonVids
    937 views
    Thumbnail for Gift Your Future Self with Custom UNITY PACKAGES | BMo5:46
    Gift Your Future Self with Custom UNITY PACKAGES | BMo
    tech.topic
    608 views
    Thumbnail for 'SORRY WE DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS RECAPTURED' - UKRAINIANS ELIMINATE CHECHEN COMMANDER IN KURSK REGION | Warthog Defense9:02
    'SORRY WE DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS RECAPTURED' - UKRAINIANS ELIMINATE CHECHEN COMMANDER IN KURSK REGION | Warthog Defense
    kids.topic
    71 views

points

Permalink
Reply
antelope valley
,
mike antonovich
,
desert rats
,
property rights
,
private property
,
nat
,
nuisance abatement
,
phonehenge
,
kim fahey
,
nick gillespie
,
libertarian
,
reason magazine
,
zach weissmueller
,
tim cavanaugh
,
la weekly
,
mars melnicoff
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle